Review: ‘Horse Feathers’

The madcap Marxes, in one of their maddest screen frolics. The premise of Groucho Marx as the college prexy and his three aides and abettors putting Huxley College on the grid-iron map promises much and delivers more.

The madcap Marxes, in one of their maddest screen frolics. The premise of Groucho Marx as the college prexy and his three aides and abettors putting Huxley College on the grid-iron map promises much and delivers more.

Zeppo is his usual straight opposite Thelma Todd as the college widow. She’s a luscious eyeful and swell foil for the Marxian boudoir manhandling, which is getting to be a trade-marked comedy routine.

On the matter of formula, the harp and piano numbers were repeated against the Marxes’ personal wishes but by exhibitor demands to the studio. The piano is oke, but the harp reprise of ‘Everyone Says I Love You’ (by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby) substantiates the boys’ opinion that it tends to slow up the comedy.

The plot, such as it is, is motivated around gambler David Landau’s planting of two pros on the Darwin team which meets Huxley. Groucho visits the speak where the Darwin ringers have been engaged and mistakes dog-catcher Harpo and bootlegging iceman Chico as gridiron material.